Bagnaia victorious in Qatar GP, Miller crashes

The Ducati Team’s Bagnaia snatched the lead on Lap 1 around the Lusail International Circuit and was not headed thereafter, meaning he takes over the MotoGP championship lead from Sprint winner Jorge Martin.

Brad Binder finished 1.329s back after 21 laps on his Red Bull KTM, holding off the Pramac Ducati of Martin in the battle for the minor placings.

Gresini Racing’s Marc Marquez got home fourth in his first Grand Prix on a Ducati, while Miller was the last classified finisher after his early spill on the #43 Red Bull KTM.

The drama began moments before the red lights were supposed to go out when Raul Fernandez raised an arm from Row 4.

Despite his subsequent protests, his Trackhouse Aprilia was wheeled off the grid and the rest were sent for an extra formation lap.

Once the start finally came, Martin bolted from pole position and, for the second night in a row, Binder jumped from Row 2 to position two.

This time, though, Bagnaia made an aggressive move at Binder at Turn 2 and then outbraked Martin for the lead at Turn 4, with Marc Marquez running fourth and Enea Bastianini (Ducati Team) fifth.

Also for the second night in a row, Miller leapt from Row 4 to sixth position but there was more déjà vu when he lost two spots before the end of the standing lap, to Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46 Ducati) and Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati).

Matters got even worse for ‘Thriller’ at the start of Lap 2 when he lost the front of his KTM at Turn 1 and crashed.

READ MORE: Jack Miller explains Qatar MotoGP crash

Martin regained second place from Binder on Lap 4 at Turn 10, with Bagnaia a few tenths up the road.

Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati) had prevailed in an early battle over fifth with Bastianini but was demoted from that spot when a charging Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GasGas Tech3) went down his inside at Turn 10 on Lap 5.

Bagnaia was half a second to the good when Binder prised second place back from Martin through Turn 1/Turn 2 on Lap 8.

The two-time champion had pulled a full second clear when Martin returned the favour to Binder, two laps later.

A lap later again, Binder reclaimed second spot as both he and Martin ran deep at Turn 1.

On Lap 12, the Spaniard billed as ‘the new Marc Marquez’, namely Acosta, passed the man himself for fourth position at Turn 1.

However, there appeared a little too much youthful exuberance when Acosta ran wide at Turn 12 on Lap 14 and handed the spot back to #93.

He ceded two more positions with a moment at Turn 16 on Lap 15 and was down to seventh.

Up the front, Bagnaia continued to circulate with a lead of approximately a second relative to Binder.

‘Pecco’ eked out a few more tenths in the closing laps as Martin began to threaten Binder again, although that came to nought.

Marc Marquez was 1.496s away from the podium in the end, with Bastianini decisively passing Alex Marquez for fifth on Turn 2 of the final lap.

Di Giannantonio took seventh, ahead of Aprilia Racing’s Aleix Espargaro, a fading Acosta, and Maverick Viñales on another factory Aprilia.

2021 champion Fabio Quartararo was 11th on his Monster Energy Yamaha and Miller did get himself classified in 21st, 42.761s from top spot.

Raul Fernandez, though, was a DNF in the end after pitting with four laps to go on his second bike.

Round 2, the Portuguese Grand Prix, takes place at Portimao on March 22-24.

Race results: Grand Prix race

Race winner: 21 laps

Riders’ championship